Always Around
by Cyranothe2nd
Summary: A short vingette of Lois' feelings while Superman lies in the hospital, and after.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Superman. I only wish I did.

This is a short vingette that covers that last part of the movie and a few hours afterward. This is the first Superman fic I've ever done, but after watching the movie, I just couldn't resist. Please read and review.

**Always Around**

**by Cyrano the 2nd**

Lois stood on the dew-dampened grass, staring with sightless eyes at the inky expanse of water in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to keep her heart from bleeding out of her chest. The pain was worse than drowning, and more terrifying than an out-of-control jet liner. The man she has once loved-still loved-was lying in a hospital bed, and she had no idea if he would live or die.

She had visited the hospital earlier that day, hoping against hope that the sound of her voice might do what the greatest medical minds could not. In reality she had been desperate to see him again, desperate to see if it was all true, and terrified that it might really be.

She has entered the room and seen him, laying so still and silent, his normal vitality gone. Her heart had consticted to a pinpoint. She felt Jason tugging at her hand, and watched him detach himself and walk over to a nearby chair. A red and blue jumble of cloth had been carefully laid out over the chair's arm, and two tall boots sat tucked underneath.

Suddenly it was all real. Superman was lying in a hospital bed and she was losing him all over again.

Lois had felt tears springing to her eyes, and she fought them down ruthlessly. She had not known how she'd got across the room-her knees felt too weak to support her weight-but suddenly she was beside the bed, looking into his still face. It had felt so strange to look down at him. He was so tall, so overpowering, in real life...

Lois had felt words springing to her lips, slipping out without any real thought behind them.

"I don't know if you can hear me. They say that people that--" What? She couldn't even finish the thought. "I don't know if you can hear me..." The tears had escaped then, spilling over onto her cheeks. She had bent down, breathing in the cool, clean scent of him. Her eyes had darted to Jason, seemingly transfixed by the material of the cape in front of him. She turned back to the man in the bed, and whispered into his ear,

"You have to live, I can't lose you again. I need you. And your son needs you, too." The last word had come out in a strangled sob.

No change. The monitor still beeped fitfully, and he still laid there, still and silent. Lois had leaned over and brushed her lips against his, her eyes searching his face, before turning away in disappointment.

Only in fairy tales did a kiss wake up one's true love.

It wasn't fair. Not to her, nor to Jason. And most definately not to Richard. Oh God-Richard! He had been there for her and Jason for five years. How could she tell him that Jason wasn't his son?

She stood, feeling like her own life was draining away as she stared into the black night. Richard had asked her once if she had been in love with Superman. She had lied- said that everyone loved him, but no, of course she didn't. She might have even convinced herself if it had not been for Luther and his insane plans. If it had not been for the strangled sense of terror she'd felt as she realized that Superman might not live through this. And when she ordered Richard to turn the plane around and go back, she knew that he knew it, too.

Lois sighed, taking a sip of her now-tepid tea. A shout from Jason's room made her whirl around, and there he was.

Not dead. Not even hurt.

She knew they were talking, but her heart was thundering too loudly to hear. "Will we...you know, see you around?"

Superman gave her a soft smile, his eyes full of emotion. "I'm always around."

He slipped back into the night. Lois walked shakily back towards the house. As soon as she hit the door, she knew that something was wrong. Richard was standing in the foyer, his hands clasped in front of him, his face shuttered.

"Lois," he said, "We have to talk."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Superman. I only wish I did.

A/N: I did not intend to ever write a second chapter of this fic but after re-reading this I felt it needed something else. Please read and review.

**Chapter Two**

The 'talk' went better than Lois had expected. Richard had sat her down and calmly stated that it wasn't working. He said that he'd been offered a job in London and that he was taking it. He told Lois that he wanted her to keep the house.

Lois didn't even have the heart to protest. At the end she just reached out and put her hand on top of Richard's clasped ones. "You're a good man, "she said sincerely. "Too good for me."

Richard shook his head. "Not good enough." He stood quickly and went to the closet for a suitcase. "I'll take the couch tonight. I have to be at a meeting at six anyway."

"Okay," Lois conceded, not wanting to fight about something as stupid as sleeping arrangements when the rest of their lives was falling apart. She puttered around in the kitchen, giving him time to go upstairs and pack some things. She heard him come back down a little later and the flick of the living room lamp going off as he settled on to the couch. She waited a few more minutes and then ghosted through the living room towards the stairs.

She had made it to the first step when she heard him say, "I won't be here in the morning to talk to Jason. I think it will be easier that way."

Lois felt her heard constrict. She was the worst person in the world. She was absolutely sure of it. "I'm so sorry, Richard." Her voice came out strangled. She knew she was going to start crying and hated herself for it, for using him and lying to him and worse of all, lying to herself. "I really tried."

"I know you did, Lois. I know."

Lois retreated up the stairs and made it to their bedroom before the first tear fell.

She rose after a sleepless night to find Richard had already gone.

Lois had thought it would be hard explaining it to Jason but, once again, her son surprised her. "I know why dad left, mom."

"Why's that?" she asked, gathering him close.

He pulled away to look into her eyes. "Its because you love Superman," he said matter-of-factly.

"How do you know that?" Lois searched her son's face, looking for signs of super-hearing or some other power that would make him understand more than any five year old had a right to.

Jason shrugged. "I just know." He pulled away from her and sat down on the couch, twisting the end of his tee shirt in his hands, turning it into a tail before smoothing it out and then starting again.

"Jason?" Lois coaxed after watching him do this for a few minutes. "Tell me how you're feeling, babe. Are you sad?"

He nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "I'm not...I..." He stopped. Lois waited for him to start again. "Am-I-Superman's-son?"

His blue eyes searched Lois' face expectantly as she deciphered the rush of words. Finally the words registered and Lois felt her mouth open and close, wanting to tell her son the truth but not knowing how to frame the words she'd hidden in her heart for so long. "I....Yes, honey. He is," she said finally.

She watched as Jason sighed, his shoulders falling as he took in this new information.

"Is that why I'm so strong?"

Lois nodded.

"I thought there was something wrong with me. Like I was freak or something. I was so scared-" Lois scooted across the sofa and drew her son into her arms.

"You are _not_ a freak. You're the son of a hero," she whispered fiercely as she stroked his hair. "I know you were scared. So was I, but it's all over now."

"But I...Mom, I killed that guy," Jason's voice sounded strangled against her neck.

Lois closed her eyes, remembering the piano and Luther's henchman, crushed against the wall. _Superman, I wish you were here_, Lois thought. Lois knew that there were things she should say to Jason, things she should tell him that would make him feel better, but she didn't know the words. She'd never killed anyone. She didn't have super strength. She had no idea what he felt like right now, no idea how to make him feel like he was still human, still her baby. And she was terrified that she would say the wrong thing and all his strength and goodness would be twisted, like Luther was twisted, into something else. For the first time, Lois felt the awesome responsibility of raising a hero and she felt herself unequal to the task.

"I know, baby. I know," Lois crooned, stroking the boy's hair, her heart breaking for him.

There was a deliberate scuff of a shoe at the door and she looked up to see Superman standing in the open doorway, the morning sunlight streaming in from behind him. He made a motion towards Jason and raised and eyebrow in inquiry. Lois nodded and shot him a grateful look as he made his way over to the couch and sat down beside her.

"Hey there," he said softly, placing a hand at the nape of Jason's neck. Jason turned.

"You're here," Jason said.

"Always," Superman responded. Jason squirmed away from Lois and into Superman's lap, snuggling into his father's arms without reservation. Lois got up and went to the door, wanting to give Jason and his father some privacy.

At the door she turned and looked back at them—Jason, whom she could hear earnestly speaking but could not make out the words, and Superman, who looked at her son-their son-with wonder and pride on his face. He began answering Jason in a quiet, strong voice and as he spoke his eyes looked past Jason to her. Lois stared at him for a moment, letting all the fear and longing and hope for the future bleed into her eyes. Then she gave him a small smile and stepped out into the sunlight.


End file.
